A Personal Temple in Tennessee

by Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®
(EU OHIM reg 000063925)
Imperator David Griffin

Our Personal Temples initiative continues to bear much fruit. Every week we help more and more Magicians put their temple on the map, who in turn inspire others to create their own personal temple.

May 1,000 Points of Light burn ever brighter, as the Magic of Light illuminates more and more people around the globe!

Help us light Temple Fires ...

... of the Magic of Light ...
... all across the globe!

Here is what J. Dicax from Tennessee has to say:

"I have been practicing magick for about 4 years and studying it much longer. It hasn't been an easy journey not having any teachers to guide me. So I spent the last four years grabbing from here and from there, not following any established route or attaching myself to a certain current. 

I would say I have achieved a basic level of success in my work, but I also feel never attaching myself to a current or experiencing the elemental initiations has really held me back spiritually. So here I go back to square one, to do things right. Here is a pic of some of the tools I made for my Neophyte Self-Initiation. If I can do it, anyone can! And if you are going to attach yourself to a current, in my opinion, there is no other option - The Golden Dawn is the way to go...I hope this inspires others to do the same thing and everyone enjoys the picture."

       - J. Dicax

The Personal Altar of J. Dicax

Personal Temple Fires Are Lighting ...

... All Across the World!

Thank you for sharing, Brother!

The Personal Temples initiative is just one small way the European headquartered Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is striving to serve the needs of the greater Magickal community. If you can think of other ways for us to help, please do let us know! Even the idea for the marvelous Personal Temples initiative came from one of our readers.

We are here to aid in meeting the needs of your magical practice. If you would like to put your personal temple on the map or publish photos of your personal temple here on the Golden Dawn blog, please contact us HERE.

(EU OHIM reg 000063925)

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®

Making Magicians - Since 1888

Click HERE to explore our Outer Order, 

undergraduate level Magical training program.

The Personal Temple of Frater Conatus from Sao Paolo, Brazil

by
(EU OHIM reg 000063925)
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®
Imperator David Griffin

For a year and a half now, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®, under the guidance of S.L. MacGregor Mathers' Rosicrucian Order of Alpha Omega, has been doing our best to inspire Magicians across the globe to create their own personal temples. As more Magicians around the world share their Personal Temples and Altars with others, the HOGD has now helped put 398 Personal Temples on the map (see the bottom of the blog for the map).

A word of thanks goes out to those who have put their Temples and Altars on the map, and especially to those who keep sharing photographs of their work with our readers as well. May 1,000 Points of Light burn ever brighter, as the Magic of Light illuminates more and more people around the globe!

Help us light Temple Fires ...

... of the Magic of Light ...
... all across the globe!

All across the world new temple fires are being lit every day. Today we share with you photos from a a personal temple from Sao Paolo, Brazil sent to us by Frater Conatus. I hope you find these photos as inspiring as I do.

Personal Temple of Frater Conatus

Sao Paolo, Brazil

Personal Temple Fires Are Lighting ...

... All Across the World!

The Personal Temples initiative is just one small way the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and our parent order, the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha Omega, are striving to serve the needs of the greater Magickal community. If you can think of others ways to help, please do let us know! Even the idea for the marvelous Personal Temples initiative came from one of our readers.

We are here to help meet the needs of your magical practice. If you would like to put your personal temple on the map or publish photos of your personal temple here on the Golden Dawn blog, please contact us HERE.

(EU OHIM reg 000063925)

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®

Making Magicians - Since 1888

Click HERE to explore our Outer Order, undergraduate level Magical training program.

Personal Temples Initiative: A Personal Temple in Florida

by Golden Dawn Imperator

David Griffin

For more than a year now, the Alpha Omega has been doing our best to inspire Magicians across the globe to create their own personal temples. As more Magicians around the world  share their Personal Temples and Altars with others, the A.O. has now helped put 268 Personal Temples on the map (see the bottom of the blog for the map).

A word of thanks goes out to those who have put their Temples and Altars on the map, and especially to those who keep sharing photographs of their work with our readers as well. May 1,000 Points of Light burn ever brighter, as the Magic of Light illuminates more and more people around the globe!

Help us light Temple Fires ...

... of the Magic of Light ...
... all across the globe!

Today I have a particularly moving story to share with you. This is the story of a spiritual aspirant determined to create a Personal Temple even within prison walls, where he had only great personal ingenuity and the simplest of materials to work with. I hope you enjoy reading the story of Frater Reflect and seeing his personal temple it as much as I have enjoyed it. This story has touched my heart as a testimonial to the indomitable power of the human thirst for spiritual growth.

Frater Reflect writes:

Frater Reflect

Avete Fratres et Sorores,

Below I have attached photos of my personal temple. I created this whole set up with less than $30. Although it is my bedroom, I spend a lot of time studying and meditating and practicing practical magic. For anyone serious enough to put in the time, it will be well worth it. I wanted to share because the are people who might not make a personal temple because they don't have the right materials or enough money or time to spend on building a personal temple. A personal temple is important, especially if you are a solitary or unable to participate in an actual GD temple.

When in prison, I had nothing but time on my hands and lots of books on alchemy, magick, qabalah, etc. When I finally got a roommate, he quickly became my magick student. I started building a temple in our room. (Yes, you can have art supplies in prison). I made the whole get up out of colored construction paper (the wands, sigils of officers, staff, cup, rose, lamp, etc) . Even though it wasn't the best material, it got the point across to my subconscious. All the colors were right. I had put our floor lockers on top of one another, covered them with my blackish/grey blanket, took the black window seal and used it as sticky tack to paste all my walls with the component sigil or symbol together!

In prison, it looked crazy, but it worked, everything made out of the simplest of materials. My point is this; there are some great craftsman out their making some great Golden Dawn tools. I am impressed by them. To make your own temple though is fun and you learn as you go.

Four months ago, I was released from prison. I had no money at all. As soon as I got a job, I started creating my temple as you see it here. The alter is the night stand from my room, covered with bed sheet. The pillars are made out of the inside tube of Christmas paper of different sizes. I needed 1 black can of spray paint (99 cents at Walmart) and 1 white spray paint can (99 cents). I took red construction paper and created 3d triangular capitals, then set them on small paper plates.

All Enochian plates are drawn on paper and colored w/colored pencil. I have tarot cards (the hermetic tarot) next to their component astrological sign, which is at each triplicity of the correct element. I've tacked sigils of the two angels assigned to each degree and sign. I've created a wall mandala of sorts to meditate on and use for memorization as well. I am a visual learner, although I have been studying magic for years.

But why not start simple, perhaps with a giant pic of a yellow air symbol on a purple background? I have done the same on each wall, except I am still working on the earth/north wall since my window is there. To solve the window problem, I'm just going to take a white bed sheet, tack everything to it, then hang/drape over window whenever I am ready for my Magickal work.

I hope my story and these pictures encourages others to create their own place for practical work. It is, after all, the practical work we put in that gives us our results.

As you can see, I don't yet have the tools or money to buy a robe, or make one. Until now, I've just been using my black hoody with a simple white beanie. I use a simple black and white wand for banishing and invoking, instead of daggers, etc.

At the north also is my study desk. I have books stacked everywhere and sometimes the temple is hard to walk in, because I have notes and books scattered everywhere.

One day I was talking to a friend on Facebook about cleaning my room and at the same time looking up some alchemy pics on Google. I came across a lot like the one attached here - with the alchemist in a chaos of books and tools. I stood up and looked around my room and thought; "that looks just like my room and me!"

Have fun everyone. Use your head be creative, but stick to the general setup. Use your imagination to create your own tools, whether a $100.00 colored wooden wand or a properly colored piece of paper.

Your friend in the work,
Frater Reflect
H.T.U.U.

The Personal Temples initiative is just one small way the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha Omega and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn are serving the needs of the greater esoteric community. If you can think of others, please do let us know! The idea for this marvelous 1,000 Points of Light initiative came from one of our readers from California!

We are here to help you meet the needs of your magical practice. If you would like to put your personal temple on the map or publish photos of your personal temple here on the Golden Dawn blog, please contact us HERE.

(EU OHIM reg 000063925)

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®

Making Magicians - Since 1888

Click HERE to explore our Outer Order, undergraduate level Magical training program.

Personal Temple of a Golden Dawn Magician in Long Beach, California

by Golden Dawn Imperator

David Griffin

Over the past year, the Alpha Omega has led the way in creating one resource after the other for Self-Initiaties and Solitary Practitioners of the Magic of Light.

In the first phase of this initiative, the A.O. began fostering the creation of Personal Magical Temples across the world, with the goal of lighting "1,000 Points of the Magic of Light." This initiative was met with kind words and warm appreciation from across the entire Golden Dawn  community.

Here is what some of our readers are saying:

"I am just loving this project. Thank you Mr. Griffin for the resources that you are unveiling to us all :). Maybe I can feel little bit more comfortable about what I'm doing knowing that there are many others out there doing the same thing. Many times I forget that and kind of give up." - Brian Jones II 

"Good news for solitary practitioners! We are just waiting for more. Thank you!" - Frater C.F.

The"1,000 Points of Light" initiative exceeded all expectations. Even today, we continue to be inundated with photographs of Personal Temples from around the world. Rest assured that over time, each and every one of them will eventually be published.

This time, Frater E.S., from Long Beach, California would like to share the development of his Personal Temple with you.

Temple Construction in Long Beach, California

Frater E.S. writes:

"This temple sits on a foundation of round and square stones. The round stones form a circle within a circle underneath the structure (two concentric circles) with another round stone directly under the center. Each round stone is painted green with a Rune and Ogham Few written upon them. The sides of the temple are supported by 18 square stones. One side is painted black, the other white. In each corner of the foundation is also a square stone (four in total) painted in the colors of Malkuth. Everything, shapes, colors, and including the number of nails or screws has been coordinated to create the right symbolism. The subfloor has painted upon it a giant Star of the Magi (visible in the picture). The entire structure is 16x16 feet by 9-feet tall. There are many other occult plans as the build continues. The floor will be tiled, the door is on the West wall and looks like a medieval castle door, the outer walls will be stone to look like a castle, large lodestones will be hidden in the walls at each point of the Star, and many other mysteries."

We invite you to share your personal temple with our readers too. You can send us a photo of your personal temple here.

(Please try to keep the file size somewhat small. Also, please let us know if you would like your name or motto to appear. Otherwise, we will include only the city. 

We further invite you to post your feedback and personal magical experiences in the comment's section below. Many of these will be featured prominently in future blog posts, as was the feedback from magicians above.)

The 1,000 Points of Light initiative is just one small way the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha Omega and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn are serving the needs of the greater esoteric community. If you can think of others, please do let us know! The idea for this marvelous 1,000 Points of Light initiative came from one of our readers from California!

We are here to help you meet the needs of your magical practice.

(EU OHIM reg 000063925)

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn®

Making Magicians - Since 1888

Click HERE to explore our Outer Order, undergraduate level Magical training program.

SECRETS REVEALED: Israel Regardie's Golden Dawn Air Dagger

by Golden Dawn Imperator

David Griffin

Israel Regardie  - Frater A.M.A.G. - Ad Majorem Adonai Gloriam

With our 1,000 Points of Light Initiative, the Alpha Omega has implemented a variety of new programs to help Self-Initiates and Solitary Practitioners of Ritual Magic.

In addition to Ritual Magic coaching (in both LIVE Webinars and in person), this initiative includes encouraging people to create their own Personal Altars and Temples.

So far, we have helped you put 102 Personal Temples on the map. We have also published a dozen or so photos of Personal Altars and Temples from around the world, to hopefully inspire you to create your own. 

If you would like to put your Personal Altar or Temple on the map, let us know where you are - either in the comments section below or by email here. If you would like, you can also email us a photo or your Personal Altar or Temple, and we will share it for you here on the Golden Dawn blog.

Today the Alpha Omega leads the way yet once again, by sharing secrets of traditional Golden Dawn magical tools with you.

I was recently asked by a solitary practitioner of Golden Dawn Magic:

"How can I make personal Magical tools - and what books should I should to use to craft them?"

The answer to this question is complicated by how current "how to" books on Golden Dawn tools contain certain inaccuracies, modern variations, omissions, and partial deviation from the rules of the traditional Golden Dawn. There thus exists an urgent need for important correction, modification, and addition to the existing literature.

As a traditionalist Golden Dawn leader, I believe aspiring Golden Dawn magicians should have the possibility to make their magical tools according to the rules of the traditional Golden Dawn. 

Therefore, to provide a traditionalist alternative for aspiring Magicians - and to correct inaccuracies and fill omissions in the training of Golden Dawn Adepts - I am releasing photographs of a few traditionalist artifacts from the Alpha Omega's Golden Dawn Museum - beginning today with Israel Regardie's Air Dagger.

Israel Regardie

When Cris Monnastre first installed me as Imperator of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1994, she also gifted me Israel Regardie's magical tools to fully empower my mission.

In light of the 1994 schism, Cris Monnastre was convinced it would fall to me to lead the Golden Dawn into the New Millennium.

Perhaps Cris Monnastre intuitively foresaw that eight years later, in 2002, the Secret Chiefs would reestablish contact with the Golden Dawn community through the Alpha Omega, chosing me to help transmit their teachings and spiritual practices for the higher grades of the Golden Dawn.

Regardie had gifted his Magical tools to Cris Monnastre at the culmination of a protracted magical campaign they completed together. Unaware of the continuing existence of the Secret Chiefs and the Third Order, the Magical couple manifested their intention to resurrect the Golden Dawn in the U.S.A. 

Following the Golden Dawn schism of 1994, Cris Monnastre not only installed me as lawful Imperator of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. She also passed the torch of Israel Regardie's Magical tools to me as well.

Thanks to the kind gift of Cris Monnastre, Israel Regardie's magical implements today hold a place of honor in the Golden Dawn Museum of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha Omega. Thanks to Cris Monnastre's gift, I am also able to share the following essential information about traditional Golden Dawn tools with you.

To begin with - as you can see from the photographs - Israel Regardie's Air Dagger is completely hand crafted, according to rules of the traditional Golden Dawn.

In some cases, practitioners of Golden Dawn magic have only had access to modern variations of traditional Golden Dawn tools. If you are going to craft Golden Dawn Magical implements, however, why not use complete and accurate information to create them correctly according to traditional Golden Dawn rules?

To meet the urgent need for more accurate and compete information ,,,

I am letting the cat out of the bag about Magical tools in the traditional Golden Dawn ...

Israel Regardie's Air Dagger - Sheath On

First of all, please aremember:

The most important thing for aspiring Magicians is to actually practice Magic. As I wrote in the Ritual Magic Manual, if you need to, you can practice Magic using nothing more than your index finger - or just a few items from your kitchen. What matters most is that you practice.

Aspiring Golden Dawn Magicians will, however, eventually want to craft your own Golden Dawn Magical tools. 

Here are a couple of inside tips ...

There are good reasons why each Magician should make their own Magical tools from start to finish. One reason is that you fill them with your energy from inside out and top to bottom.

Every day in the Alpha Omega, practitioners of Ritual Magic come to us needing to spend months - if not years - correcting errors and bad habits they picked up in their Magical training along the way.

Sure there are on-line shops peddling Golden Dawn tools and trinkets. - But if you are going to bother to have Golden Dawn implements, why not craft according to traditional rules?

I recommend you create your Air Dagger yourself - from scratch - the way Israel Regardie did - and as have traditional Golden Dawn Adepts since the beginning.

So how do you create a TRADITIONAL Golden Dawn Air Dagger?

First and foremost - I suggest you craft it yourself - using Israel Regardie's Magical tool as a model.

Israel Regardie's Air Dagger - Unsheathed

Basic material for a traditional Golden Dawn Air Dagger

Here are more SECRETS of traditional Golden Dawn Tools REVEALED:

1. The blade is home-made from a metal file. It is hammered flat, then filed into the correct length and shape.
2. The tail of the file runs through the center of the entire length of the upper handle, which is made of two pieces of wood, carved out so that the rump of the blade fits snugly within.
3. The two pieces are glued together. 
4. The top cone is carved of wood with the tip of the blade rump crimped over at the top with pliers to hold the blade snugly inside in the upper handle.
5. The hand guard is made of four pieces of wood held together with glue and nails.
6. The center two pieces of the hand guard are cut out out so the upper handle fits snugly inside.
7. The scabbard is made of two pieces of wood hollowed out so that the blade is held snugly between.
8. The two scabbard pieces are held tightly together with braided brass wire.

Finally, below you will find the all the correct Qabalistic Names and their Rosicrucian Sigils you need to fully empower your traditional Golden Dawn Air Dagger.

Please note that the Hebrew name of the river of Eden, Chiddikel, has been misspelled over and over throughout modern Golden Dawn literature, including in books on crafting Magical tools. The correct, traditional Hebrew spelling of Chiddikel, together with its correct Rosicrucian Sigil, appears below.

The Names and Sigils are to be painted on the hilt and the guard of the dagger in the complementary color violet against a yellow background. 

If you are serious about becoming a Magician, you will find no better school of Ritual Magic than the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha Omega.

Click here to learn more about our outer order, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Alpha Omega ...

Making Magicians - Since 1888!